It's All New to Me
by Marimba Panda
Summary: Lily's world is turned upside down when she finds out that she's a witch. She befriends James Potter who shows her the ropes of being magical. Soon, she finds herself falling for him. The thing is, he's falling for her, too.
1. A Look at Lily's Life

A/N: Hi everyone! This is my first Harry Potter fanfic, and my first time posting anything on FanFiction.Net. I hope everyone enjoys it, and I hope to get some good feedback, so review, review, review!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own any Harry Potter related materials. The only things that are mine are the plot and anything you don't recognize.  
  
Pairing: Lily and James (This is my favorite pairing. If anyone has read good L/J fics, tell me what they are in a review, please and thank you.)  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Ch. 1 A Look at Lily's Life  
  
"Give me that dress, witch!" screamed an ugly blonde-haired teenager who had a sour expression on her face.  
  
"This is my dress Petunia! It doesn't even fit you!" screamed an eleven-year-old Lily Evans as she snatched her favorite green dress back from her fifteen-year-old sister Petunia. Petunia was always trying to take Lily's things without permission and always wound up tearing it, because she wouldn't admit that she wasn't as thin as she thought she was.  
  
"Girls! Stop fighting or we'll be late for the party!" shouted their mother, Carolyn Evans.  
  
"You know what? I'm not going to the stupid party! I never wanted to go in the first place! All you care about is going to parties, and I can't take it anymore. I hate them; they're never any fun. I hate all of you! I'm not going and you can't make me!" And with that Lily stomped up to her bedroom. She locked the door and wouldn't unlock it until she was sure that her parents and Petunia had left.  
  
Her full name was Lillian Marie Evans. She had no friends at all because every time she would get angry or upset, odd things would happen. Like once, a boy was chasing her in the schoolyard, and she was very upset, because he was threatening to throw a ball at her. The next thing she knew, he was up a tree, crying his eyes out. Another time, her classmates were calling her a teacher's pet because she scored a hundred on a test that most others had done badly on. The next day, all the children came to school to find their notebooks missing, and Lily was the only one who still had hers. All of these odd things scared Lily's classmates.  
  
Lily had waist length deep red hair, more of an auburn color. Her eyes were bright green and contained a hint of mischief. And her temper? Let's just say you shouldn't get on her bad side. Just because she didn't have friends didn't mean that she was anti-social. She knew she just needed friends that would accept her the way she was.  
  
Lily's father was involved with the government. The family was well known, and they were always being invited to parties. They lived in a mansion in London. Lily's mother stayed at home preparing for parties and designing cloths. It seemed that all her parents cared about were going to parties and hosting parties and meeting all kinds of people who were very high up in government status. They never seemed to realize that Lily was very unhappy or how much Petunia bothered Lily, and how much she hated them for that.  
  
As she put on her yellow duck pajamas, Lily sighed. Sometimes she wished that she had another calling in life, that maybe she belonged somewhere else where she would fit in. It just didn't seem right that she belonged here with people like Petunia. She sighed again before pulling the covers over her body and falling asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.  
  
A/N: Remember guys review! I'm hoping to get 5 reviews for every chapter, and every one counts! Thanks a bunch! 


	2. I'm a WHAT?

A/N: Hi everyone! This is my first Harry Potter fanfic, and my first time posting anything on FanFiction.Net. I hope everyone enjoys it, and I hope to get some good feedback, so review, review, review!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own any Harry Potter related materials. The only things that are mine are the plot and anything you don't recognize.  
  
Pairing: Lily and James (This is my favorite pairing. If anyone has read good L/J fics, tell me what they are in a review, please and thank you.)  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Special Thanks: This is a special thanks to Ljstagflower4e/Jctigerwolf4e for helping me realize the HUGE mistake I made when I first uploaded. Thank you SOOOOO much!  
  
Ch. 2 I'm a WHAT?  
  
The next morning Lily woke up in a better mood. She'd forgotten all about being angry with her family, as she changed into bell bottomed jeans and a blue tank top. She was about to go downstairs for breakfast when she heard a noise coming from outside her window. Re-entering the room, she went to the window and looking outside, she was shocked. Fluttering right outside was.  
"Is that an owl?" she asked out loud, almost as if expecting someone to answer. She opened the window and it flew in. She noticed that it had something tied to its scrawny leg. Lily, not being afraid of animals, scooped it out of its flight, untied the envelope from its leg and sent it flying back out the window. The envelope, made of parchment she noticed, and addressed to Lily, bore these words:  
  
Ms. Lily Evens  
The Yellow Bedroom  
  
Evans Manor  
  
130 London Lane  
  
London  
  
Lily broke the wax seal on the envelope, after noticing a crest  
showing a lion, snake, raven, and some kind of furry animal, possibly  
a badger. She peered curiously down at the letter, which after she had  
read, she wished she had sat down, first.  
  
Ms. Lily Evans,  
  
We are pleased to inform you that you have  
  
been accepted to attend Hogwarts School of  
  
Witchcraft and Wizardry. Find enclosed  
  
a list of books and supplies you will need.  
  
**PLEASE NOTE**:  
We know you are muggle born (no one else in your  
family possesses magical powers.) A wizard will meet  
you at the Leaky Cauldron, in London, on the 30th of  
August, to show you around, and help you to purchase  
your school supplies.  
  
Deputy Headmistress,  
  
Minerva McGonagall  
  
As stated in the letter, there was another piece of parchment enclosed with a list of supplies:  
  
HOGWARTS SCHOOL  
of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY  
  
UNIFORM  
FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS WILL REQUIRE:  
1. Three sets of plain black work robes  
2. One plain pointed black hat  
3. One pair of dragon hide protective gloves  
4. One black winter coat with silver fastenings  
  
COURSE BOOKS  
All students should have a copy of each of the following:  
The Standard Book of Spells Grade One  
By: Miranda Goshawk  
A History of Magic  
By: Bathilda Bagshot  
A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration  
By: Emeric Switch  
900 Magical Herbs and Fungi  
By: Phyllida Spore  
Magical Drafts and Potions  
By: Arsenius Jigger  
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection  
By: Quentin Trimble  
  
OTHER REQUIREMENTS  
1 wand  
1 cauldron  
1 set glass phials  
1telescope  
1 set brass scales  
Students may also bring and owl OR a cat OR a toad.  
  
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN  
BROOMSTICKS.  
  
Witch thought Lily, letting it sink in. Witch. I'm a witch. It took a minute for it to finally click in her brain, then.  
  
"OH MY GOSH I'M A WITCH! Mum! Dad!" screamed Lily as she tore down the wooden steps, completely forgetting the fact that she was mad at them. "Mum! Dad! You'll never believe it!"  
  
"What is it, dear?" Carolyn asked in a worried tone.  
  
"I'M A WITCH!"  
  
"Lily, has Petty been calling you names again?" asked her father tiredly.  
  
"No, Dad! You don 't understand. I'm a witch, Dad, a real one. Look at this." She thrust the letter at her parents who read it confusedly. When they finally understood they were ecstatic.  
  
"Oh my gosh Lily, congratulations!" shrieked her mother in delight.  
  
"A real witch in the family, wow." stated her father in awe.  
  
"So I can go to this Leaky Cauldron place tomorrow?"  
  
"Of course." replied Carolyn. Petunia chose that moment to walk into the kitchen.  
  
"What's going on?" she asked sleepily.  
  
"I'm a witch." Lily informed her sister, proudly.  
  
"Well duh. I already knew that." Petunia said in a bored tone.  
  
"No Petty, a real one." Replied Lily, shoving the letter in her sister's face.  
  
"You-you're a WITCH! STAY AWAY FROM ME YOU FREAK!" And with that, Petunia stormed out of the kitchen.  
  
"Don't worry lily, Petty will come around sooner or later." said her mother wisely, as Lily sat down to her breakfast of French toast and bacon. But Lily hardly heard her mother, for she was too busy thinking.  
  
This was the chance she'd been waiting for. She knew that there was something better out there for her. She knew she didn't belong here, but that she belonged in another world. She vowed that she'd make friends in her new school. Friends that she could always count on and that could always count on her.  
  
Friends that she'd always dreamed about having.  
  
A/N: Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed. I'm trying to get 5 reviews for each chapter, and every review counts! 


	3. Meeting James Potter and Diagon Alley

A/N: Hi everyone! This is my first Harry Potter fanfic, and my first time posting anything on FanFiction.Net. I hope everyone enjoys it, and I hope to get some good feedback, so review, review, review!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own any Harry Potter related materials. The only things that are mine are the plot and anything you don't recognize.  
  
Pairing: Lily and James (This is my favorite pairing. If anyone has read good L/J fics, tell me what they are in a review, please and thank you.)  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Ch. 3 Meeting James Potter and Diagon Alley  
  
"Lily Flower, I don't see this Leaky Cauldron place." Said Edward Evans who was getting a bit peeved, and starting to think that this whole 'being a witch' business was merely a joke that was getting completely out of hand. They had driven around London twice already.  
  
"There it is!" Lily announced.  
  
"Lily that's a record shop. Do I need to get your eyes checked?"  
  
"You probably can't see it because you're not magical," replied Lily exasperatedly. "Just let me out here and pick me up tonight at eight." Her father looked skeptical. "Don't worry Dad, I'll be fine." Said Lily getting out of the car before her dad could get a get a word in.  
  
Lily walked into the pub and headed for the bar. "Excuse me?" she said uncertainly.  
  
"Yes? My name's Tom." said the bartender noticing the lost look on Lily's face, "Can I help you?"  
  
"I got a letter..." she didn't have to say any more.  
  
"Ah, you must be Lily Evans. A young man is waiting for you over there." He pointed to a booth on the other side of the pub.  
  
"Thanks." Replied Lily. As she walked to the boy's table she immediately decided that she was going to make friends with this boy. That he wouldn't put her down. She wouldn't let him treat her like everyone at her old school did, and if he did, he'd have hell to deal with later.  
  
"Hello." She said pleasantly, a smile on her face.  
  
"Would you be Lily Evans?" he asked charmingly.  
  
"Yea." This boy, whoever he was, for they hadn't introduced themselves yet, had unruly black hair, sky blue eyes, and wore glasses. You could tell he liked sports, just by looking at him, for he had an athletic build. He was a little taller then Lily, but he looked about her age.  
  
"I'm James. James Potter. I'm a first year at Hogwarts, too. Shall we go then?" and he led the way out into a bricked courtyard. "Anytime you come to Diagon Alley, you tap these bricks," he indicated them, "with your wand." James tapped the bricks and as if by magic (well duh! Lily thought) the bricks parted and as archway was formed. The two walked under it.  
  
"Welcome," James said dramatically, "to Diagon Alley."  
  
Lily gasped at the sight of it all, as she and James stood there silently, starting at the miles of magical stores and attractions that seemed to stretch before them on the cobblestone road, which twisted and turned out of their sight.  
  
"Shall we?" James asked again, pulling Lily out of her reverie.  
  
"Let's go!" said Lily anxiously, snapping back to the present. "Where to first?"  
  
"Gringotts." James replied confidently, grabbing Lily's hand and pulling her towards a gigantic white marble building. "Oh and just so you're prepared, Gringotts Bank is run by goblins. They seem scar-", but James was interrupted.  
  
"Hey Jamie-boy!" shouted a boy from across the crooked street. "Who's the chick?"  
  
"SIRIUS ORION BLACK! I TOLD YOU NOT TO CALL ME THAT. ESPICALLY IN PUBLIC!" James screamed to the boy, who also had black hair.  
  
"Look what you did, Sirius. Now he's blushing!" exclaimed another boy, with sandy blonde hair, in a mock sincere way. Both boys made their way over to Lily and James.  
  
"James, who's the chick?" Sirius asked again.  
  
"I'm not a chick. Chicks are small yellow furry things that run around a barn-yard all day, and I'd appreciate it if you refer to me as Lily."  
  
Sirius gave her an odd look for a moment, and then, as if unfazed, said, "Hello to you, too. I'm Sirius Black." and laughed. He held out his hand, and Lily shook it, knowing full well that this boy wouldn't be giving her any more trouble.  
  
"I'm Remus Lupin." Said the other boy, shyly introducing himself.  
  
"Hi. Pleasure to meet you." Said Lily as she stuck out her hand, and Remus shook it. However, while she was greeting Remus, she heard Sirius say to James in a hushed whisper,  
  
"James what about your parents?"  
  
"Sirius you can't tell them." Said James in a seriously urgent voice, " They think I came here by myself, to do my school shopping. Dumbledore knows about my parents. But he thinks I'm different, and I know I am, and so do you."  
  
"So then! Let's get going." Said Remus, noticing Lily's eyes focused on James and Sirius, breaking her thoughts before she could ask any awkward questions. "Where are you guy's headed?"  
  
"Gringotts." Replied Lily, putting the thoughts of James's urgency out of her head for now.  
  
"Us too." Said Sirius. The four-some trooped inside the bank and as they did Lily thought, I'm worried about James. What were he and Sirius talking about? I have the feeling his parents wouldn't like me for some reason.  
  
"Come on Lily, we have to exchange your muggle money for wizard money." Said James. And so Lily exchanged her money for the amount of 10,000 galleons.  
  
"Now you need a vault, Lily-bean." Said Sirius. Lily got vault number 135 and dispensed most of her money there. She loved the ride down to her vault, and while all three boys looked rather green afterwards, she thought it would be worth it to come to Gringotts just to ride the mine carts.  
  
"Okay," said Lily as they group walked out of the bank. "Now we can start the shopping. I want to get my books first, James. Where do we go for that?"  
  
"Flourish and Blotts, they sell all our course books. Do you guys need to do your shopping, too?" He asked Sirius and Remus.  
  
"Yea." Said Sirius. So they headed for Flourish and Blotts and got all of their books. Lily also picked out Hogwarts: a History and Simple Household Charms: A Guide to Liven Up Any Household for extra reading. James poked fun at her for liking to read, but she insisted she thought that the extra books would come in handy. Next they went to the Apothecary to buy their Potions ingredients, and Lily was disgusted by the smell. It reminded her of the fish that her dad had forgotten to put in the freezer once, and they had rotted because they had been left out.  
  
At Madam Malkin's Robes For All Occasions they were all fitted. They also got their hats and cloaks. Sirius got deep red dress robes, Remus got navy blue, and James got silver.  
  
"Which color should I get?" asked Lily.  
  
"How about we each pick one out and you pick which one you like best?" Suggested Remus.  
  
"Good idea," agreed James. "Lily, you stay here and us three will go pick out robes for you."  
  
So Lily waited as the three boys went to the girls' section. Fifteen minutes later the boys came back, each carrying a robe. James's was green with silver sequins and it matched Lily's eyes perfectly. Remus's was a pale shimmery blue. And Sirius's was...  
  
"Sirius what is that?"  
  
"Uh, well, I figured you wouldn't pick mine anyway so I had a little fun picking it out..." The top was neon green, the middle was neon pink, and the bottom was neon purple. And Lily looked horrified. James and Remus, however, got a good laugh out of it.  
  
"Right, so I'll uh...go put this back on the rack." Said Sirius, chuckling to himself as he turned and walked away. Lily then went into a dressing room with the two NORMAL dress robes to find that Remus's was too big. James's however, fit perfectly, and so Lily purchased it and thanked James.  
  
Over the next hour, they purchased their dragon hide gloves, cauldrons, glass phials, telescopes, and brass scales. They decided to save their wands for last, and went to Eeylop's Owl Emporium, where they each purchased an owl. Remus's was a barn owl, which he named Poseidon. Sirius's was a tawny owl named Ares. James got an eagle owl and named him Apollo. And Lily got a snowy white owl and named it Athena.  
  
"Wands, next?" I've been waiting for this." Said Sirius. The four new friends made their way to Ollivander's. Over the door read the words: Ollivander's: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C. They heard a tinkling of a bell in the depths of the shop when they walked in.  
  
"Ah," said a mystical voice. "Who do we have hear? Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and, oh my, Lily and James Potter." The two gave each other odd glances.  
  
"Uh, actually, " Lily started, "we're not related. In fact we just met each other today." Lily said uncertainly.  
  
"You are not related? Ah, well time will tell. For it is your heir that will save us all." Replied Mr. Ollivander, mysteriously.  
  
"Uh, right." Said James. "Sure. Whatever you say. Can we just get our wands, now?"  
  
"Yes, yes of course. Who's first?" Sirius got his wand in two tries. Oak, Dragon Heartstring, 9 inches. Remus took five tries, ending up with Maple, Unicorn Hair, 12 inches.  
  
"Next," said the old shopkeeper.  
  
"Me." said James.  
  
Maple and Phoenix Feather, 7 inches. Try." But as soon as James gave it a whirl, the outside window shattered, leaving a pile of broken glass on the floor.  
  
"Absolutely not!" shrieked Mr. Ollivander. But on the next try, James got his wand. Mahogany, Pliable, 11 inches.  
  
"Ah, and last but not least, Ms. Lily Pot...er, Evans. Try this: Ebony. Unicorn Hair, Springy, 8 inches." Felling stupid, Lily gave the wand a wave, and sent Sirius flying into a wall.  
  
"Oh my gosh, Sirius! Are you ok?"  
  
"Definitely not that one, Lily-bean." Sirius said weakly, standing up. Thirty minutes, 27 wands, and minor injuries to the boys and the shop later, Lily finally found a wand that didn't cause any form of destruction when she waved it.  
  
"Willow, Swishy, ten and a quarter. Try." Said Mr. Ollivander in a tiresome voice. This time, when Lily whirled the wand, she felt a warm sensation fly through her body to her fingertips, and out of the wand flew red and gold sparks.  
  
"Finally!" Lily said.  
  
"That will be 7 sickles, 2 knuts, Ms., uh, Evans." Lily paid and the group exited the store.  
  
"I'm hungry." Sirius whined.  
  
"Oh stop your belly-aching, and we'll stop for ice cream," Remus replied.  
  
"Yes, Remus, my belly does ache. It's because I'm hungry." Replied Sirius, trying to be serious.  
  
"Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor," Lily read off a sign. "Sounds good to me."  
  
"Ok. James and I will go order. You two go get a table. Remus? What'll you have?"  
  
"Um...Banana Split."  
  
"What about you Lily?" asked James.  
  
"Hot Fudge Sundae, extra hot fudge." Remus and Lily got a table outside, with an umbrella. They sat down to wait, and Lily asked something that had been burning a hole in her head since they met.  
  
"Remus? What did Sirius mean before? When he asked James what his parents would think about me?" Lily saw a pained look in Remus's eye.  
  
"I'm sorry Lily, I can't tell you. It's James's place to tell you, not mine. He'll tell you sooner or later Lily, I know he will. I'll just say that James trusts very few people for a certain reason. Once he knows he has your trust for sure, he'll tell you." And so Lily vowed that she would earn James's trust, no matter what it took. Just then, James and Sirius came back with the ice cream.  
  
"Here you go, Lily-bean."  
  
"Lily-bean, huh? Is that my new nickname?"  
  
"Yup. It fits. Your name is Lily, and I dunno.it just sounds good I guess." Replied Sirius. Lily laughed.  
  
"I like it," Lily replied.  
  
"Me, too," said James. When they were done eating, Sirius yelled out,  
  
"Let's go to Quality Quidditch Supplies!" James and Sirius starting running at a sprint to a store at the other end of Diagon Alley.  
  
"Hey guys! GUYS!" Lily yelled, her and Remus trying to keep up, Lily now clutching a stitch in her side from running after just finishing off her ice cream. "Guys what's Quidditch?" The two boys stopped short, almost mauling a witch who seemed mildly distracted by a bird that kept repeatedly flying into a shop window for no apparent reason. Slowly they turned around, looked at Lily with shocked looks on their faces, and ran back to her and Remus.  
  
"Such an innocent question," Remus muttered. "Now you've got them started," he said, almost disdainfully.  
  
"You-you don't know what Quidditch is?" Sirius stuttered disbelievingly staring into Lily's green eyes.  
  
"Uh, no?" replied Lily. And then the boys were off,  
  
"Best sport in the world..."  
  
"Played on broomsticks..."  
  
"...fourteen players..."  
  
"...the quaffle..."  
  
"...and the snitch..."  
  
All of this was said animatedly, until Remus broke it up.  
  
"Guys! GUYS! I think you're scaring her."  
  
Lily however was laughing.  
  
"I'll explain everything." Said James, and he did. By the time the four reached the store, Lily knew what Quidditch was, how to play, and that all three boys rooted for England.  
  
"Wow! That sounds great! I can't wait to learn to fly!" And while in Quality Quidditch Supplies, Lily bought another book, Quidditch Through the Ages.  
  
By 8:00, Lily was wishing she didn't have to leave, although she knew she had to. She knew her dad would be waiting outside the record shop on the other side of The Leaky Cauldron, and he would get worried if she was even just a little bit late.  
  
" 'Bye Lily-bean!" Sirius called, as Lily hopped into her father's car.  
  
She was going to like this being a witch thing.  
  
A/N: Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it. I'm hoping for 5 reviews per chapter, so if you could please find the time to make me happy, lol. Thanks in advance for everyone who'll review. 


	4. The Hogwarts Express and the Sorting

A/N: Hi everyone! This is my first Harry Potter fanfic, and my first time posting anything on FanFiction.Net. I hope everyone enjoys it, and I hope to get some good feedback, so review, review, review!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own any Harry Potter related materials. The only things that are mine are the plot and anything you don't recognize.  
  
Pairing: Lily and James (This is my favorite pairing. If anyone has read good L/J fics, tell me what they are in a review, please and thank you.)  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Ch. 4 The Hogwarts Express and The Sorting  
  
Beep. Beep. Beep.  
  
Lily jolted from her deep slumber. One glance at her alarm clock, which read 7:00 a.m., made her wonder why she was getting up this early. Then she remembered that today was September 1st.  
  
Hogwarts.  
  
She had diligently finished packing her trunk the night before, and now headed down to breakfast. Her mother made her bacon and eggs, one of her favorites, as a departing meal. After finishing off the last bit of her mother's delicious eggs, she decided she might as well get dressed now, for it was eight o'clock, and they were leaving at nine, and she wanted to look presentable. I want to make a good first impression.  
  
She chose her outfit carefully. She did want to make a good impression, but she also wanted to be comfortable. She finally picked out her dark navy blue flares and a dark green tank top, which went wonderfully with her deep red hair. She then added her lucky blue knee-length socks and her favorite shoes, black ankle boots, as well as the grape charm earrings she'd made last summer, and the grape charm necklace that she'd also made.  
  
Lily knocked of Petunia's door. "I'm leaving, Petty!"  
  
"Whatever, freak," Petunia replied bitterly without, even bothering to open the door.  
  
"Good-bye, Petunia." Said Lily sadly. She hated leaving without a proper good-bye, no matter if Petunia was a brat, because they were sisters after all.  
  
"Lily, dear, come one or you'll miss your train." Called Carol from the limo.  
  
The drive to King's Cross would have been completely boring if Lily hadn't been so excited about starting school at Hogwarts. She was extremely quiet the whole time, which was unusual for her, but her parents could tell she was deep in thought, or else very nervous, and opted for leaving her to her thoughts.  
  
"What platform number is it?" Asked Edward after Lily's trunk had been loaded onto a cart.  
  
"Nine and Three-Quarters," answered Lily, waiting for an odd look to appear on each of her parents' faces.  
  
"Excuse me?" asked Carolyn.  
  
"Don't worry, Mum. James told me how to get on." Carol and Edward had heard much about James upon Lily's return from Diagon Alley, and thought he sounded like a fine example for Lily, although they weren't too keen on the thought that she might like him like him, because after all, she was just eleven.  
  
By then, they had reached the barrier between platforms 9 & 10. Lily gave each of her parents a hug and a kiss. She readied herself for the run. " 'Bye Mum! 'Bye Dad!" she called one last time, before hurtling towards the barrier. Her cart gained speed, going faster and faster. She was going to crash, she just knew it, and it was inevitable now. She closed her eyes and prepared for the impact. But the collision never came. Instead of hearing her heart in beating in her chest, as she had a moment earlier, she could now hear children's noisy feet funning back and forth across the platform, and parents yelling and what not. She opened her eyes, and before her stood a scarlet steam engine with the words The Hogwarts Express painted on it beautifully with golden script.  
  
She pushed her trolley onto the train, looking for an empty compartment. She was also hoping to find James, Remus, and Sirius, but first she had to put her trunk out of the way.  
  
Five minutes later, after unsuccessfully looking for a compartment, she heard her name,  
  
"Oy! Lily-bean!" She knew it must be Sirius, for although James had said he like the nickname, Sirius was still the only one to call her that. She turned around and sure enough, there he was jumping up and down, waving his hands madly. Lily laughed and pushed her trolley over to him.  
  
"Hi Sirius!"  
  
"Hiya, Lily-bean." He helped her drag her trunk into his compartment and they put it on a shelf.  
  
"Where are James and Remus?" Lily asked.  
  
"I dunno, haven't seen 'em yet." The two went back out into the corridor to see if they could find the other boys.  
  
"JAMES! REMUS! OVER HERE!" Lily shouted extremely loudly, even though she hadn't seen the boys, because she knew it would grab their attention if they were anywhere up to about a hundred feet away. It did.  
  
"You've got one powerful set of lungs, Lily." Said Sirius.  
  
"Yes well it worked didn't it?" She pointed out smugly, as two boys pushing trolleys came into view.  
  
"Hey Sirius! Hi Lily!" greeted Remus.  
  
"Hi guys." said James.  
  
"Come on, we've got a compartment already." said Sirius leading them to it.  
  
After all the trunks were stored away, the old witch with the candy cart came around. While the boys bought what seemed to be a year's worth of sweets, Lily only bought some chocolate frogs and a flask of pumpkin juice.  
  
"Didn't you three eat breakfast this morning." Lily asked, amazed at how many Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans James was stuffing into his mouth at once.  
  
"Of course we ate Lily. But that was a whole two and a half hours ago." said Sirius sarcastically. Suddenly there was a knock on the compartment door.  
  
"Come in," said James, but when he saw who walked in, he immediately wished he hadn't. In walked two boys, one with slicked back blonde hair, and the other with the greasiest black hair Lily had ever seen.  
  
"Well, if it isn't Potter, Black, and Lupin," the blonde hair boy sneered. "But who is this lovely lady?" he asked, walking towards Lily. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Lucious Malfoy, and this is my friend, Severus Snape."  
"Leave us alone Malfoy." Said James. Lily, who didn't often judge someone before she knew them, could already tell that this guy was bad news, just by the sneer on his face and his disregard of the boys.  
  
"But we don't want to leave now, do we Severus? We want to stay here and talk with the chick."  
  
"You shouldn't have said that." Muttered Sirius warningly under his breath. Lucious heard him and was about to ask why not?, but Lily had opened her mouth.  
  
"I am not a chick. Chicks are little yellow furry things that run around a barnyard all day, and I'd appreciate it if you referred to me as Lily." Said Lily monotonously, as she repeated the same spiel she'd recited to Sirius when he had called her a chick. She then continued.  
  
"I believe he said to leave. If you don't understand what that means, tell me. And I'll get you a dictionary for Christmas." The boys could hardly keep from laughing.  
  
"And you." Lily continued, this time talking to Snape. "There's a little thing I'd like to introduce you to. It's called shampoo. Ever heard of it?" Snape's face got, if possible, even eviler looking. The two left without saying another word, and the boys finally lost it.  
  
"Brilliant Lily!" cried Remus between fits of laughter.  
  
"How'd you do that, Lily-bean?" asked Sirius, trying to catch his breath.  
  
"Years of experience, mind you I do have a brainless git for a sister." They all cracked up again. There was another knock at the door. The four companions glanced at each other.  
  
"Come in." Lily said, ready and waiting with more comebacks for unwanted intruders. But she needn't worry. In walked a pretty girl with shoulder length dark brown hair, who was wearing a simple black knee length skirt and a pale pink blouse.  
  
"Hello. I'm Carly Waiter." Carly had a sweet voice that flowed nicely, reminding Lily of honey.  
  
"Lily Evans." said Lily shaking the girl's hand. "That's Sirius Black." Lily pointed out. "Remus Lupin, and James Potter."  
  
"Hello." chorused the boys.  
  
"Do you mind if I sit here? Everywhere else is full."  
  
"Sure, sit down." Said Remus. Lily noticed him blush, and she smiled knowingly at him, and winked as she caught his eye, which only caused him to blush more.  
  
"So what house do you guys want to be in?" asked Carly.  
  
"Gryffindor." Replied all three boys simultaneously.  
  
"Yea? Me, too. Both my parents were in Gryffindor." Said Carly.  
  
"Uh...guys? Houses?" asked Lily confused.  
  
"Hogwarts Houses." said Carly. "Are you muggle born?"  
  
"Yea."  
  
"Your house is where you sleep and do homework and hang out and stuff," said James. "There's four: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Raevenclaw, and Slytherin. The Slytherins are all slimy gits." finished James.  
  
"So I take it Malfoy and Snape will be Slytherins?" asked Lily.  
  
"Most likely." said Sirius.  
  
"What about the other three?"  
  
"Hufflepuffs are pushovers, Ravenclaws are really smart, and Gryffindors are the best. They're brave and loyal." Said James. "And they kick butt in Quidditch." He said as an afterthought.  
  
"You were pretty brave when Malfoy and Snape came in here, Lily." said Remus quietly. "And you defended your friends. That sounds like a Gryffindor to me." he finished.  
  
The rest of the train ride went by in a flash. They all changed into their robes, the girls making the boys leave the compartment while they changed. When they got off the train, a big man named Hagrid was calling all the first years towards him.  
  
"Hi, Hagrid!" called James.  
  
" 'Lo James." said Hagrid staring down at him.  
  
"How do you know him?" asked Remus.  
  
"Family friend." replied James. But Lily thought she heard a sorrowful note in his voice. Oh, well, she quickly forgot about it when the four of them got into the boat. They had lost Carly in the crowd, and Lily could only hope that she found someone nice to sit with and didn't wind up with people like Malfoy or Snape. As they turned the corner, Lily gasped at her first sight of Hogwarts. It was a beautifully magnificent castle, climbing and climbing up towards the heavens, looming over the gigantic lake on which they were now swiftly sailing.  
  
After departing from the boats, the slew of first years followed Hagrid to the big oak front doors. He knocked three times and it was opened at once. The first years were herded into the beautiful, not to mention huge, front Hall and briefed on what would happen.  
  
"How are we sorted?" Lily asked James nervously, when McGonagall had left.  
  
"All we have to do is try on a hat, don't worry." He said, and soon McGonagall came back.  
  
"Follow me." No longer nervous, Lily got in line between Sirius and Remus and followed McGonagall into the hall.  
  
"I will call your name and you will put on the hat. After you are sorted, you will sit at you house's table." said McGonagall. "Alverez, Nicole." A small blonde haired girl shuffled out of line and sat on the stool.  
  
HUFFLEPUFF!  
  
"Black, Sirius."  
  
"Good luck." Lily whispered.  
  
GRYFFINDOR!  
  
"Cordello, Kyle."  
  
GRYFFINDOR!  
  
"Denzel, Derek."  
  
SLYTHERIN!  
  
"Evans, Lily."  
  
Trying to look more confident than she felt, Lily strode to the three- legged stool, sat down, and put the hat on her head.  
  
***In Lily's Head***  
  
Hello.  
  
Hi  
  
Lily Evans...where to put you?  
  
Well I'm not shy if that helps. And Remus said he thought I was brave.  
  
You're pushing me towards Gryffindor but...  
  
But what?  
  
You'd make a nice Slytherin.  
  
Yea right. I'd beat their butts!  
  
But you're so ambitious.  
  
No.  
  
But...  
  
No!  
  
But...  
  
"I SAID NOT SLYTHERIN YOU STUPID HAT!" Lily yelled out loud. She could care less what everyone thought as long as she wasn't put into Slytherin.  
  
Ok, ok...better be...  
  
GRYFFINDOR!  
  
A/N: Thanks for reading, and I hope everyone enjoyed. I'm hoping to get 5 reviews per chapter, and every review counts. Thanks, bye! 


	5. First Time Friends

A/N: Hi everyone! This is my first Harry Potter fanfic, and my first time posting anything on FanFiction.Net. I hope everyone enjoys it, and I hope to get some good feedback, so review, review, review!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own any Harry Potter related materials. The only things that are mine are the plot and anything you don't recognize.  
  
Pairing: Lily and James (This is my favorite pairing. If anyone has read good L/J fics, tell me what they are in a review, please and thank you.)  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Ch. 5 Friends  
  
Lily, head held high, paraded towards the Gryffindor table. Sirius jumped up and hugged her and she took the seat next to him. A few more kids were sorted and then...  
  
"Lupin, Remus."  
  
GRYFFINDOR!  
  
Remus, eyes wide open in anticipation, jumped down from the stool and jogged to the Gryffindor table. Ten minutes later...  
  
"Malfoy, Lucious."  
  
The hat barely touched his head when...  
  
SLYTHERIN!  
  
"Big surprise," muttered Remus.  
  
"Waiter, Carly."  
  
GRYFFINDOR!  
  
"Snape, Severus."  
  
SLYTHERIN!  
  
There were only five people left in the line.  
  
"Potter, James."  
  
***In James's Head***  
  
Hi, Mr. Sorting Hat!  
  
Hello James.  
  
So where ya gonna put me?  
  
I'm thinking Slytherin like your parents.  
  
Just because they were in Slytherin doesn't mean I will be.  
  
But you can have power, and besides, wouldn't they be  
disappointed with you, if you didn't make Slytherin?  
  
Forget it, I can yell "Not Slytherin" just as loud as Lily.  
  
No! Don't! Please my poor ears can't take it.  
  
Do you even have ears?  
  
I have no clue. But anyway.  
  
GRYFFINDOR!  
  
The group stood up and cheered for James. Lily hugged him.  
  
Oddly enough, Lily and Carly were the only first year Gryffindors, but were happy that they'd have a dormitory all to themselves. She bid goodnight to Carly, as they both hopped into bed.  
  
As she was falling asleep, Lily remembered something that Remus had said on the train.  
  
You were pretty brave when Malfoy and Snape came in here. And you defended you friends. That sounds like a Gryffindor to me.  
  
Yea, friends, Lily thought, as she drifted off into a well-earned slumber. I have friends. And for what seemed like the first time in her life, Lily fell asleep extremely content, and for the first time, knew she had found real, true friends.  
  
A/N: Thanks for reading, and I hope everyone enjoyed. I'm hoping to get 5 reviews per chapter, and every review counts. Thanks, bye! 


	6. First Day of Classes

A/N: Hi everyone! This is my first Harry Potter fanfic, and my first time posting anything on FanFiction.Net. I hope everyone enjoys it, and I hope to get some good feedback, so review, review, review!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own any Harry Potter related materials. The only things that are mine are the plot and anything you don't recognize.  
  
Pairing: Lily and James (This is my favorite pairing. If anyone has read good L/J fics, tell me what they are in a review, please and thank you.)  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Review Thanks: Thanks to MissSugarQuill, who is the FIRST EVER REVIEWER FOR THIS STORY!!!!! Thank you soooo much.  
  
Ch. 6 First Day of Classes  
  
"Carly! Come on, I'm hungry," called Lily into the bathroom door. It was the next morning, and Lily was ready to head down to breakfast. Carly on the other hand was still in the bathroom.  
  
"I'm almost done, hold on." Lily sighed as she wondered WHY Carly insisted on taking a shower in the morning. To Lily it had never made sense to take a shower in the morning, when you're clean, but rather, she liked to wait until before bed when she was dirty from a day's work. But to each his own, thought Lily.  
  
Click.  
  
The bathroom door opened and both girls grabbed their bags and ran downstairs.  
  
"Looks like the sleepyheads finally decided to grace us with their presence." said James with a chuckle.  
  
"You didn't have to wait for us. Where are Remus and Sirius?" asked Lily.  
  
"I wanted to wait. And they went to breakfast with Peter Pettigrew, one of the other boys in our dorm."  
  
"Well let's go then," said Lily, grabbing James's hand and walking out of the common room.  
  
James and Lily sat across from each other and Carly sat next to Lily. Sirius was next to James and Peter was on his other side. Remus sat on Carly's other side.  
  
"Been wondering when you guys were gonna show." said Remus.  
  
"Carly was in the bathroom forever."  
  
"Oh, shove off Lily."  
  
"Pass the bacon." Said Lily pretending she hadn't heard Carly. Clumsily, Peter passed Lily the bacon.  
  
"Here," said a Prefect, handing the group their schedules. Lily remembered him as Arthur Weasly, a 6th year. They all had the same schedule; they found out a minute later after they all had a moment to look over their timetables.  
  
"At least we'll get potions out of the way first, we have it with the Slytherins," said Carly in disgust.  
  
"Flying right after that, at least it's something to look forward to." replied Sirius, and the rest agreed.  
  
***During Potions***  
  
"Welcome to Potions. I am Professor Reed. There will be no fooling around in my class. I do not favor anyone, so don't try to butter me up. You will pay attention, take notes, and prepare potions as I tell you to. No talking unless I say to. Understood?"  
  
The class nodded and Lily thought that maybe the class wouldn't be so bad if they weren't allowed to talk because the Slytherins wouldn't be able to taunt them, especially Malfoy and Snape. Personally Lily thought that Professor Reed didn't like being as strict as he was, you could see it in his clear blue eyes. He wasn't that old, maybe in his late twenties, and he had dirty blonde hair.  
  
"Everyone stand at the back of the room, so I can tell you which table you will be sitting at and who your partner will be." Everyone got up and stood along the back wall.  
  
"James Potter and Lily Evans. Remus Lupin and Carly Waiter. Sirius Black and Kyle Cordello. Peter Pettigrew and Lucious Malfoy. Severus Snape and Narcissa LeFaye. Rena Genvio and George Parkinson. Chop, chop. Find your seats and copy down the ingredients for the Truth Potions. When you're done you may pack up and leave. No talking please."  
  
***Flying***  
  
The seven Gryffindors stood in a line on the Quidditch field facing the opposing line of Ravenclaws.  
  
"I am Madam Hooch," said a young woman walking onto the field. "All of you put your right hand over your broom and say "up". They all did. Lily wasn't afraid, she wanted to learn to fly more than anything, for she wanted to be on the house team next year.  
  
Her broom shot up right away, as did James's and Sirius's. Carly and Remus got theirs' on their third tries, and Peter's didn't even move. There were a few people from Ravenclaw who had their brooms in their hand.  
  
"Alright now, anyone who has successfully called their broom may mount it and fly around for a bit while I help the others. Don't go to high. When it's time to come down, lean slightly forward."  
  
James shot up in the air closely followed by Lily, Remus, Sirius, and Carly. They started playing what Remus called 'Broom Tag'. Lily felt like a pro, like she had been flying all her life. She was going very fast, and James showed her something called the Wronski Feint, a Quidditch move that he had seen at the last Quidditch World Cup. When Madam Hooch blew her whistle, everyone came soaring down.  
  
"What's next?" Lily asked Sirius, who was looking at his schedule.  
  
"Herbology then Charms. Lunch and then History of Magic, Defense against the Dark Arts, and Transfiguration."  
  
"I heard that the Defense teacher is a werewolf! Wonder if it's true..." Said Carly. Lily noticed that Remus suddenly tensed up and turned very pale, but quickly dismissed the thought as the group entered the greenhouse.  
  
***Herbology***  
  
"Welcome class to Herbology. I am Professor Sprout. Today we will be repotting Mandrakes. Everybody grab a pair of earmuffs and watch me." Professor Sprout secured her earmuffs around her ears, grabbed the plant's leaves firmly in her hand, and pulled with all her might. Out came what Lily thought was supposed to be a baby, though it was quite ugly. It opened its mouth and bawled, or at least it looked like it was bawling. Lily couldn't hear a thing. However, she did see Peter drop to the floor. Apparently his earmuffs hadn't been on tight enough. Professor Sprout repotted the Mandrake and motioned to the class that it was safe to remove their earmuffs.  
  
"Mr. Cordello, take Mr. Pettigrew to the infirmary, will you? Thank you lad. You may back up your things class, we won't have time to repot any Mandrakes, now."  
  
They packed up their things and headed back up to the castle for Charms. So far, Lily's day had been great. She swore that tonight she would write to her parents to tell her what a great time she was having.  
  
***Charms Class***  
  
"Welcome, welcome. My name is Professor Flitwick. Today we will be learning the levitation spell. Wingardium Leviosa. Everyone find a partner and one of you come and get a feather." James and Lily immediately grabbed each other's wrists. Carly and Remus decided to partner, as did Sirius and Peter, who had been revived rather quickly. Lily went up to get their feather.  
  
"Now remember class," said Professor Flitwick when everyone was situated, "it's swish and flick. Go ahead and try."  
  
"You go first, Lily."  
  
"All right, if you say so. Wingardium Leviosa! " Gently, the feather rose up into the air. Lily directed it with her wand and levitated it up a little farther, finally directing it back onto the table.  
  
James however had a more difficult time. He could manage to get the feather about 3 centimeters off the table, but then it always fell back down.  
  
"Stupid feather...why'd we hafta learn this charm anyway...EVIL FEATHER!" He pointed his wand at the feather, which burst into flames.  
  
"James, calm down or you won't do it right."  
  
"He's already not doing it right." sniggered Sirius from across the isle.  
  
"Sod off Sirius."  
  
"Will everyone please return their feathers to the box?" asked Professor Flitwick. They did so and proceeded to lunch. History of Magic turned out to be a bore, it was taught by a ghost, Professor Binns. Defense Against the Dark Arts however seemed vitally important when the teacher, Professor Kurt, informed them of the growing threat of Lord Voldemort.  
  
***Transfiguration Class***  
  
Their last class of the day was Transfiguration. James couldn't wait; he was most interested in this form of magic than any other. Lily was eager to try anything. Professor McGonagall taught this class and Lily thought her to be a good teacher, but very strict.  
  
"This is an extremely hard class. Any funny business and I will ask you to leave. And you won't come back. Do I make myself clear? Good. Everyone pick a partner and one of you come get a match. You will be turning the match into a sewing needle. Good luck, you'll need it."  
  
The group decided to have the same pairings as in Charms. Lily went to get their match. James had an easy time mastering the spell.  
  
"Matchium Silverium!" He waved his wand and the match turned into a needle. Lily however had worse luck.  
  
"Matchium Silverium!" Lily waved her wand. At first nothing happened, then the match cracked in half. "Reparo!" shouted Lily and the match snapped back together.  
  
"The bell is about to ring." Said McGonagall. "Please work on the spell and try to get it right. Bring your matches back to the box on my desk." Lily took the match and deposited it in the box, a sour look on her face. As she turned around, she bumped into Lucious Malfoy.  
  
"Watch where you're going, Mudblood," he sneered.  
  
"Maybe you should watch where you're going," Lily retorted nastily, as she walked back to James.  
  
"What did that git Malfoy say to you?" he asked Lily protectively.  
  
"James, what's a Mudblood?"  
  
"HE CALLED YOU A WHAT?"  
  
"What is it James." Lily questioned. He sighed.  
  
"It means that you're muggle born. Most witches and wizards don't think it matters, but some, like Malfoy, think that only full witches and wizards like himself should be admitted into Hogwarts. Wait 'til I get my hands on him. I'll rip him limb from limb from limb from..."  
  
"You will not."  
  
"Excuse me, I won't?"  
  
"Nope." replied Lily with a smug smile on her face. James saw a mischievous glint in her eye.  
  
"Oh, really. What do you have in mind, Oh Great Lily-bean?"  
  
"Revenge. In the form of pranks." And she gave an evil sounding laugh. The two started planning and with the help of their friends and the library they had a plan.  
  
A/N: Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed. I'm hoping to get 5 reviews per chapter, and remember that every review counts! 


	7. Pranks and Kisses

A/N: Hi everyone! This is my first Harry Potter fanfic, and my first time posting anything on FanFiction.Net. I hope everyone enjoys it, and I hope to get some good feedback, so review, review, review!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own any Harry Potter related materials. The only things that are mine are the plot and anything you don't recognize.  
  
Pairing: Lily and James (This is my favorite pairing. If anyone has read good L/J fics, tell me what they are in a review, please and thank you.)  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Review Thanks: Thanks to horsiegirl for reviewing!  
  
Ch. 7 The First Prank and Kisses  
  
Lily woke up bright and early the next day, which was a Friday. She happily got dressed and headed down to the Common Room. Only James was down there.  
  
"Mornin' sunshine."  
  
"Good morning James. Will Sirius and Remus be down soon?"  
  
"Yea, they're taking showers. What about Carly?"  
  
"Almost ready. You're sure this prank will work?"  
  
"Yup, I've done it before."  
  
"On who?"  
  
"Sirius and Remus." Lily burst out laughing when James said this, because she knew what the prank was. Just then the other four joined them and they rehearsed what they were going to do one more time. When they were all ready, they headed down to breakfast. They sat down at the table and pretended that everything was normal.  
  
About five minutes into breakfast, Lily whispered, "Femalia Dressium."  
  
Just as James whispered, "Kissorshia."  
  
Suddenly Lucious Malfoy was dressed in a frilly pink ball gown with high- heeled shoes. He lunged himself at Snape and they started to kiss each other passionately. The whole of the Great Hall was falling on the floor in laughing heaps. Even Dumbledore and McGonagall snickered. Malfoy and Snape now had murderous glares plastered on their faces. They tried to rip apart, but they couldn't stop kissing.  
  
Finally Dumbledore stopped laughing enough to say, "Finite Incantetem." Malfoy and Snape stopped kissing abruptly and both of them ran out of the hall as fast as their legs would carry them much to the amusment of the rest of the hall. Once the laughter died down a bit, Lily and James ran out of the hall, unnoticed, still laughing hysterically.  
  
They went up to Gryffindor Tower to get their books. Still laughing they exited the portrait hole and faced each other.  
  
"That was great, James!" Lily managed to say as she gasped for her breath.  
  
"The look on their faces!" Replied James.  
  
And then he didn't know what overtook him. He was still facing Lily, looking into her beautiful green eyes. Beautiful green eyes! Where did that come from?, James thought. And then he didn't know what made him do what he did next. He leaned in and he kissed her. She was a little surprised at first, and then started kissing back.  
  
Cough, cough. They heard, and quickly broke apart. Sirius was standing there, a knowing smile on his face.  
  
"I'm not even going to ask what you're doing, but we're going to be late for Potions," Sirius smirked.  
  
"We weren't doing anything!" James squawked.  
  
"No? So it's perfectly normal for two friends to practically be shoving their tongues down each other's throats?" Sirius said sarcastically.  
  
"Don't tell anyone," Lily pleaded, tears glimmering in her eyes.  
  
"Who me?" said Sirius innocently.  
  
"SIRIUS!"  
  
"Ok, ok I promise! Now come on let's get to Potions."  
  
***Later***  
  
James was sitting in the common room, doing a Charms essay. He'd been avoiding Lily ever since Sirius had caught them kissing. He was so upset with himself. He could've possibly just ruined his friendship with Lily, and he didn't even know why! He had no idea what came over him, and he was ashamed to think about. He tried to drive it out of his mind. He decided he needed to clear his head, so he went to take a walk. On his way out of the common room, though, he ran into Lily. He tried to walk past her without making eye contact, but wasn't very successful.  
  
"James, we need to talk." Lily said seriously.  
  
"Er.yea, we should. Let's go outside."  
  
They walked out the great oak front doors into the bright sunlight, which made them blink. After they were a bit away from the castle, they sat down on the grass, facing each other. James spoke first.  
  
"Listen, Lily, I'm really sorry. I-I'm not sure what came over me."  
  
"Well, I'm sorry too. If you didn't notice, I kissed back." Lily pointed out.  
  
"I kind of enjoyed it." said James as he winced, not knowing if Lily would be mad.  
  
"Me, too." Replied Lily, not looking James in the eye.  
  
"But I don't like you!"  
  
"I don't like you either. I guess I just got caught up in the moment. So, we're cool?"  
  
"We're what?"  
  
"Oh, it's something muggles say. It just means that things are ok between us now."  
  
"Yea, things are cool." James smiled, and Lily returned it. They walked back to the castle together, each in their own little world.  
  
A/N: Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed. I'm hoping to get 5 reviews per chapter, and remember that every review counts! 


	8. Christmas Break and a Werewolf

A/N: Hi everyone! This is my first Harry Potter fanfic, and my first time posting anything on FanFiction.Net. I hope everyone enjoys it, and I hope to get some good feedback, so review, review, review!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own any Harry Potter related materials. The only things that are mine are the plot and anything you don't recognize.  
  
Pairing: Lily and James (This is my favorite pairing. If anyone has read good L/J fics, tell me what they are in a review, please and thank you.)  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Ch. 8 Christmas Break and a Werewolf  
  
The year progressed smoothly until December. The castle had undergone quite a few changes for the upcoming winter hols. Twelve grand Christmas trees were placed in the Great Hall, decked with garland and beads, and glowing lights, which turned out to be real fluttering fairies.  
  
The halls, too, were now sparkling clean, and hanging portrait frames were now gleaming gold and silver. Garland could be found scarlet, blue, yellow, and green in their respective common rooms, and everyone was filled with the joy of the upcoming break.  
  
The Marauders, as James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter had come to call themselves, had become very close to Lily and Carly, whom they had named honorary Marauders, as they had assisted greatly with numerous pranks. Lily and James were top of most classes, with Sirius and Remus trailing not far behind. Carly was doing very well, but Peter was a lost cause.  
  
Everyone, it seemed to Lily, was perfectly content. Everyone, that is, except Remus. Once a month, Remus disappeared, sometimes saying that his mom was sick and that she had to go visit him, or that a family member had died. At first Lily didn't think anything of it, but after the death of three grandfathers, she couldn't help but think that something was up. She couldn't figure out what was wrong, until one day in DADA when they started studying werewolves. It was around that time when Remus starting acting quite oddly. But with the buzz of Christmas in the air, Lily wasn't as observant as she should have been.  
  
Soon it was the last day before break, and Lily and Remus could be found waving goodbye to the Hogwarts Express as it took their friends home for the holidays. Lily wasn't going home because her parents decided to take a vacation for just the two of them, and if she'd gone home, she'd have been stuck with Petunia the whole break. Remus stayed to keep Lily company, even though she insisted that she'd be fine and that he go home to spend Christmas with his family. However, he said he'd rather be with a friend then his family, and for that Lily was very grateful. Lily and Remus would be the only two Gryffindors to stay behind this Christmas, so they'd have the whole common room to themselves, not that they minded of course.  
  
Break had started off wonderfully, as both of them had finished their holiday homework the day break started so they wouldn't have to worry about it, and would be able to enjoy themselves. It wasn't until the day before Christmas Eve that Lily started worrying about Remus.  
  
They were in the common room, each reading a book. Remus was reading a book about dark creatures, and Lily was reading Hogwarts: A History. She was halfway through the chapter about Godric Gryffindor, when she glanced out the window. It had started snowing from the time that she and Remus had sat down with their books.  
  
"Doesn't the full moon look beautiful with all that snow?" She asked Remus.  
  
He jerked up nervously, sweat already pouring down his face. Full moon? No, it couldn't be. He'd been counting the days until the full moon. It wasn't supposed to be until the twenty-third. Today was only the twenty-second. Wasn't it?  
  
"Full moon?" He half asked himself. "Lily, what day is it?"  
  
"The twenty-third, Remus. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, don't you remember?  
  
"I-I've got t-to go!" He managed to squeak out, as he dropped his book and ran out of the common room.  
  
What was that all about?, thought Lily to herself. What's wrong with a full moon? And then the pieces of the puzzle started coming together. He couldn't be.not a werewolf! Impossible. But then. that does explain a lot of odd things he's been doing lately. He's been leaving often to visit family, or so he says. I'd say he's gone about once a month. That's got to be it then. The full moon comes once a month. He just ran out of hear because I complemented on how beautiful the full moon looked. It all makes sense now. He's been acting strange ever since we started studying werewolves in DADA. And I remember on the first day of classes when Carly said she had heard that one of the teachers was a werewolf. He went really pale. Her eyes fell to the book Remus had discarded on his way out. Dark creatures? She opened the book, and sure enough, the chapter on werewolves had been marked. Poor Remus. I'll go down to the hospital wing tomorrow morning and visit him. Maybe sneak him some food.  
  
She then decided she might as well go to bed. She trudged up to the girls' dormitory and changed into her flannel pajamas. But it wasn't any good. She couldn't get to sleep and she kept thought she was hearing howling. Needless to say, it was not a good night.  
  
The next morning dawned a bright, clear day. Lily was up with the roosters, as she hadn't been able to get a proper night's rest. She got dressed in her muggle cloths, since they were on break. A pair of flare jeans, and a dark green turtleneck. She transfigured her normal book bag into a basket, and headed down to the Great Hall first. Upon arrival, she loaded the basket with breakfast for Remus and herself, two plates of bacon and eggs, some toast, and two flasks of pumpkin juice. She was hoping no one noticed her odd behavior, and luckily no one did.  
  
She made her way out of the Great Hall and up to the Hospital Wing. She opened the infirmary door, and made her way to Madame Promfrey's desk.  
  
"Excuse me, Madame Promfrey?" asked Lily.  
  
"Yes?" she answered, a bit startled.  
  
"Is Remus Lupin here? I came to visit him."  
  
"Why, yes of course. He's down that way." She pointed to a bed at the very end of the row.  
  
Lily walked down the row of empty hospital beds until she reached Remus's. He was propped up on his pillow, the blanket drawn up to his shoulders. His eyes were bloodshot and he looked exhausted.  
  
"Morning, Remus."  
  
"L-Lily! What are you doing here?" he asked worriedly.  
  
"I came to visit you, silly." She said as she took the seat next to his bed. "How're you feeling?"  
  
"I'm fine. Just a.a cold." He replied nervously.  
  
"Remus Lupin, don't you lie to me. Honestly you think I didn't figure it out by now?"  
  
"I-I don't know what you're talking about."  
  
"Yes, you most certainly do. Don't worry Remus. I know. I figured it out last night, after you ran out. You're a werewolf." She finished. He flinched.  
  
"I suppose now you're going to tell everyone, right?" he said disdainfully. "And they'll all think I'm a freak and stop being friends with me. You can leave now Lily, I'm used to it. Once they find out I'm a werewolf, it's over."  
  
"I'm not going anywhere." Said Lily, as a look of shock came over Remus's face.  
  
"You mean you're not going to run, or flinch? You don't care?"  
  
"The only thing I care about is being a good friend."  
  
"Thanks, Lily." He said, with a genuine smile.  
  
"No problem. Oh, I brought breakfast. I figured hospital food must be the pits." She said, as she procured two still piping hot meals from her basket, thanks to the heating charm she'd used.  
  
"Thanks, Lily!" He said, and the two started eating. "So do you think the others suspect?"  
  
"I don't think so. But you might want to tell them, before they figure it out by themselves, and get mad. I know they won't treat you any differently."  
  
"Do you think you could write them for me and tell them. I won't be out of here until tonight."  
  
"Sure, no problem. I'll go now."  
  
"Ok. Bye. And thanks Lily."  
  
Lily made her way back to her dorm and took out four pieces of parchment.  
  
Dear James, Sirius, Peter, and Carly,  
  
Hi you guys. You only left yesterday, and already Remus and I miss you terribly. Remus asked me to write to you guys, and tell you something important. I'm warning you now to sit down first.  
Are you sitting? This is your last chance. Anyway. Guys, Remus is a werewolf. Yes, a werewolf. He was petrified when I figured it out. But I don't care if he's an alien. He's still a very kind person who deserves to be treated as such, and I know you guys will not think any differently of him, now that you know the truth. He's a little uncertain. Write back and tell him for yourselves what you think. Merry Christmas Eve! We'll be sending you presents along with stronger owls later.  
  
Love, Lily  
  
That night, Remus was let out of the hospital wing, and he and Lily sent gifts to the rest of the Marauders and Carly. They then headed down to the Christmas Eve Feast, which was a rather formal occasion, and required them to wear dress robes. At around eleven, they received four owls, one each from James, Sirius, Peter, and Carly, all saying that they're glad Remus finally told them the truth, and that they're all still his friends.  
  
"Told you so," said Lily smugly. Remus just smiled. They spent that night in the common room, sleeping on sleeping bags. The next morning, they woke up to find piles of Christmas gifts at their feet.  
  
Lily got a letter from her parents saying that they wished they could spend the holiday with her and were sorry that they were vacationing. They gave her a beautiful collar for her owl. It was lilac, with fake jewels glistening on it. Carly got her a bracelet that said 'Best Friends L.E. & C.W.' and a note saying she had one exactly like it. Peter sent her a bar of chocolate from Honeydukes. From Sirius she got a bag of dungbombs, which she knew would be used for pranks on the Slytherins. But James's gift was the one she liked by far the best.  
  
It was a picture frame, engraved with lilies all around the border. A picture of herself was in the middle, and the surrounding pictures were of all her friends. James put a note saying that the pictures were charmed to magically change, so that they would always show what her friends looked like at that exact moment.  
  
A few days later, Christmas break was over and Lily's friends returned. The rest of the year went without major incident, unless you count James accidentally cursing Sirius so that he spoke in Latin for an hour every Saturday, until they got tired of it and went to Dumbledore for help, or the time Sirius dyed Lily's hair green. Supposedly, that was an accident too, but Lily never knew. She didn't care either, because it went back to normal after a week or so. And Sirius never told that he had caught James and Lily snogging, and for that they were both grateful.  
  
A/N: Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed. I'm hoping to get 5 reviews per chapter, and remember that every review counts! 


	9. Reminiscence and Yelling

A/N: Hi everyone! This is my first Harry Potter fanfic, and my first time ever posting anything on FanFiction.Net. I hope everyone enjoys it and that I get some good feedback, so review, review, review!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own any Harry Potter related materials. The only things that are mine are the plot and anything you don't recognize.  
  
Pairing: Lily and James (this is my favorite pairing, and if you know of any good L/J fics, tell me about them in a review, please and thank you!)  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Reviews: Thanks to J.E.A.R.K. Potter, child-of-scorpio, LJstagflower4e/JCtigerwolf4e, BlueRubies, and Catherine-Anna for reviewing!  
  
Ch.9 Reminiscence and Yelling  
  
Flash forward 7 years. At the moment you'll find a now 17-year-old Lily in her bedroom, packing the rest of her trunk for her seventh, and final year at Hogwarts.  
  
Lily sat on her bedroom floor, packing up the rest of her trunk for Hogwarts. She was almost done, and it was late, almost midnight. Her parents were asleep and so was Petunia. Petty never did accept the fact that her sister was a witch, and hadn't spoken to her since the day Lily left for her first term at Hogwarts.  
  
The group was now closer than ever, with the exception of Peter. Lily was almost disappointed that this was her last year; she knew how much she would miss Hogwarts. For the past seven years, Hogwarts had felt more like her home than her home did.  
  
She had grown into a beautiful young woman over the last seven years. Her long auburn hair reached her waist now, and she always left it down. She was still thin, but she had grown much taller. Still James and Sirius were a good 4 inches taller than her. Ahhhh...James...she loved him. It was a simple as that. When you spend six years with someone like James, it's hard not to fall for him. Of course, she never told anyone, although, she thought Carly might suspect it. Lily knew the exact time when she fell for him. When he had kissed her after the prank they played on Malfoy and Snape. And then she'd lied to him about how she felt because she was afraid he'd stop being friends with her.  
  
Carly, Lily knew was still, after seven long years, crushing on Remus. Even though Carly, like Lily, kept it to herself, Lily knew. Just by the look of Carly's face whenever Remus was around. How her eyes sparkled and how no matter what mood she'd been in before Remus entered the room, she'd always be happy when he was there.  
  
After glancing at the clock, and realizing she'd been thinking for almost an hour, as it was almost one in the morning, Lily decided it was time for bed. She slipped into her silky blue pajamas and got into bed.  
  
As she pulled the covers over herself, and listened to the soft breeze outside her bedroom window, she couldn't ignore the feeling that somehow, this year would be.different.  
  
*At James's House*  
  
"OF COURSE YOU'LL JOIN THE DARK SIDE! WHY WOULDN'T YOU?" screamed James's father, angrily.  
  
"Because I don't believe that any good will come from being on the Dark Side. I will never join Voldemort. I would die before I did. I happen to be a descent person with descent friends." replied James calmly.  
  
"YOU WILL NOT TALK BACK TO ME LIKE THAT, YOUNG MAN!"  
  
"Fine! How about I don't talk to you at all? I'm leaving," and with that James stalked up to his bedroom. He slammed his trunk shut, shrunk it and put it in his pocket. As he threw his Invisibility cloak over himself, and jumped on his broom, his father came up the stairs yelling.  
  
"FINE, RUN! AND MAY THE DARK LORD BE THE DEATH OF YOU!" But James didn't hear him, as he had already vanished into the dark night sky faster than lightning.  
  
A/N: Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed! I'm hoping to get 5 reviews for every chapter, and remember, every review counts! 


	10. Midnight Comfort

A/N: Hey everyone. Sorry I didn't get to update yesterday like I planned too. My computer decided to crap out on me (break down.it's something me and my friends say). On the bright side, I did get to start on a new fic. It'll be a one-shot, not very long but long enough for a one-shot. I'll let everyone know when that's updated.  
  
Someone in a review asked me to let them know when I updated, so if anyone else wants me to let them know whenever I update, I'd be glad to send you an email, just let me know.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own any Harry Potter related materials. The only things that are mine are the plot and anything you don't recognize.  
  
Pairing: Lily and James (This is my favorite pairing. If anyone has read good L/J fics, tell me what they are in a review, please and thank you.)  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Reviews: Thanks to Kryptic Insanity, J.E.A.R.K Potter, marauder23, storywriter10791, and LJstagflower4e/JCtigerwolf4e for reviewing!  
  
Ch.10 Midnight Comfort  
  
James tore through the night sky, just wishing to be rid of his father forever. Just wishing that he could be safe from his family. The family who supported Voldemort. His parents who were Death Eaters, who expected James to become one too, when he was of age. Ever since he could remember, all he'd heard at home concerned Voldemort and Dark Magic. Ever summer since he started Hogwarts, he'd dreaded coming home. He'd begged Dumbledore countless times to let him stay at the castle over summer holidays, but to no avail. He couldn't wait until the new term started, because after September 1st, he'd never have to see his parents again. After his seventh year, he and Sirius were planning on moving in together, seeing as his parents were in the same state of mind as James's. Maybe they'd get a flat in Hogsmeade.  
  
After about half an hour of flying, James started to think clearly again. He knew he had to get somewhere to spend the night. Not Sirius's or Remus's because he knew if his father wanted to find him, then he'd check there first. He probably shouldn't stay at the Leaky Cauldron, and, for that matter, he probably shouldn't stay anywhere magical. But where to stay? And then it hit him...LILY! Why didn't he think of it before?  
  
He loved Lily. It was as simple as that. How could he not love someone as sweet and kind as Lily? He'd been so stupid in his first year. First he kissed her, and then denied liking her. But to say he loved her. If you knew James Potter very well, then you'd know he'd never tell anyone that he loved them, unless he truly meant it. Sure he'd gone out with his share of girls, but he'd never really liked any of them. He was really just covering for the fact that he loved Lily.  
  
He did a four-point spell; Dumbledore had given him special permission to use magic over the summer, because he knew about his parents, and flew in the direction that his wand pointed. In about half an hour's time, he arrived at Lily's. He flew around the outside of the house, trying to see which room was Lily's. He finally found her, sleeping peacefully in her bed. He landed on the window ledge and rapped lightly on her window. At first she just moved slightly in her bed, so he rapped again a little harder. She lifted her head off her pillow and squinted her eyes, looking out the window. When she realized that there was a person sitting on her window ledge, a person with a broom, she became wide-awake.  
  
"James!" she whispered loudly, as she opened the window hurriedly. "What are you doing here?" she asked, and saw tears glistening in his eyes.  
  
"It's a long story," said James, despair in his voice. "Can I come in?"  
  
"Of course." Lily replied worriedly. She gave him a blanket to wrap around himself, for although it was summer, tonight was unusually chilly, and she could see he'd been flying for a while. He took his trunk out of his pocket, un-shrunk it, and placed his now neatly folded Invisibility cloak in it. He tried to wipe away a tear without Lily noticing, but she did.  
  
"James, what's wrong? And why are you hear?"  
  
"Lily, I ran away."  
  
"James, why?"  
  
"My parents...they...Lily?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"You have to promise never to tell anyone what I'm about to tell you, ok? I've known since the day that met you that we'd be friends for every, Lily, and I knew that one day, I'd be able to trust you with my secret."  
  
Immediately, Lily remembered her first time to Diagon Alley:  
  
***Start Flashback***  
  
"James, what about your parents?"  
  
"Sirius, you can't tell them. They think I'm here by myself. Dumbledore knows about my parents. But he thinks I'm different and so do I."  
  
Lily remembered later asking Remus what the other to boys were talking about.  
  
"Remus, what did Sirius mean before? When he asked James what his parents would think of me?"  
  
"I'm sorry Lily, I can't tell you. It's James's place to tell you, not mine. He'll tell you sooner or later, I know he will. Let's just say that James trusts very few people for a certain reason. Once he knows he has your trust for sure, he'll tell you."  
  
***End Flashback***  
  
"I promise."  
  
"Lily, you've heard of Voldemort right?"  
  
"Yea, we learned about him in school."  
  
"Well, his followers are called Death Eaters, and my parents are Death Eaters."  
  
"Oh, James."  
  
"But I'm not. Lily, I'll never support him. He wants to hurt people like, people like..."  
  
"People like me?"  
  
"Yea. Lily I'm sorry."  
  
"James, you shouldn't be sorry. I know that you'd never want to hurt me. So why are you hear tonight?"  
  
"My father got mad. He kept yelling at me, trying to force me to join the Dark Side. He thinks he can make me. But he can't. So I left. I knew I couldn't stay anywhere magical; he'd be able to find me. So I came hear. I hope you don't mind."  
  
"Not at all. You can stay the night. In the morning I'll just tell my mom that you came over early and you need a ride to the station."  
  
"Thanks, Lily. You're the best."  
  
"Anytime," she replied, taking him into a hug. She knew it was just what he needed right now. They stood embraced for a few minutes, and when they broke apart, they both had a feeling of security.  
  
Lily set up a sleeping bag, pillow, and blanket for James on her floor, but out of the way so that if anyone came in her room, they wouldn't see him.  
  
Yep. Lily thought as she got into her bed. This year's gonna be totally different.  
  
A/N: Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed. Please review, I'm trying to get 5 reviews per chapter. Thanks! 


	11. Plotting and Blissful Love

A/N: Hi everyone. Thanks for reading. This is my first fanfiction, and also the first one I'm posting on FanFiction.Net. I hope everyone enjoys it.  
  
If you haven't noticed by now, Peter will have an extremely small part in this fic, because I hate his guts. Basically, he's just there.  
  
I'm starting a new fic. It'll be about Remus and Harry, but it's not slash, and it will contain OotP spoilers, so read that first. I'll let everyone know when that's posted  
  
One of my readers wants me to let them know every time I update. If anyone else wants me to let them know every time I update, then tell me so in an email or a review.  
  
Pairing: Lily/James (This is my favorite pairing, so if you know any good L/J fics, let me know in a review.  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Reviews: Thanks to SarcasmSage, LJstagflower4e/JCtigerwolf4e, J.E.A.R.K. Potter, Storywriter10791, BlueRubies, and marauder23 for reviewing.  
  
Ch. 11 Plotting and Blissful Love  
  
After the first week of classes, Lily and James started patrolling the corridors of the castle after hours, as was a responsibility of the Head boy and Girl. Neither of them was any closer to admitting their love for each other than had been.  
It was on a Tuesday night while James and Lily were off patrolling, that you could find the rest of their crew, minus Peter, doing their homework in the Gryffindor Common Room.  
  
"Arrggh! I can't stand it anymore!" sighed Carly, closing her History of Magic textbook.  
  
"What's wrong, Carly?" asked Sirius.  
  
"Lily and James," replied Carly. "Those two are meant for each other, they're just both too thick to realize it."  
  
"I know," said Remus. "They're obsessed with each other. They never leave each other's side except to go to bed. They patrol with each other every night! It's amazing they haven't snogged at least once yet!"  
  
"Well except for that one time..." Sirius muttered then immediately covered his mouth with his hand and glanced around to see if anyone had heard him. They all had.  
  
"Spill." demanded Carly.  
  
"Well...uh...you see...I'm not 'sposed to tell...I promised."  
  
"Forget about it. They're not here, tell us, unless of course you want us to curse you," said Remus, with an evil smirk on his face. Sirius crumbled.  
  
"Ok, fine. Remember back in first year, when we pulled the first prank on Malfoy and Snape?"  
  
"How could we forget?" said Carly.  
  
"Well while everyone was still laughing, James and Lily left the Great Hall and went back to Gryffindor Tower to get their books. Then I remembered that I had left my quill in our dorm, so I went back up to get it. When I got to the portrait hole, James and Lily were standing right outside it, snogging like there was no tomorrow."  
  
"And you never told us? What were you thinking?" exclaimed Carly.  
  
"They made me promise not to tell! Lily was really emotional about it." Retorted Sirius.  
  
"Do you think they've really liked each other since first year? I mean seven years is a pretty long time." Said Remus.  
  
"You never know. I mean anything's possible." Replied Carly.  
  
"That's it!" shouted Remus, banging his fist on the table, which caused some of the other students to look at him. "We've got to do something, then." They all sat in thought until Carly broke the silence.  
  
"You know, Christmas Break begins tomorrow, and none of us are going home, well except Peter, but we don't need him. What do you say we start off this holiday season with a bit of spice?" Carly said with a mischievous grin on her face.  
  
"What have you got in mind?" asked Sirius eagerly.  
  
"I'm thinking somewhere along the lines of something that has to do with Lily and James, together, locked in a closet.no make that a bathroom. For, oh let's say until James gets up the courage to ask her to the Christmas Ball." she finished proudly.  
  
"That's a great idea!" said Sirius approvingly.  
  
"But what if he doesn't ask her?" asked Carly.  
  
"Well then they'll be spending an awful long time in the bathroom, won't they?" said Remus with an unusual evil glint in his eyes.  
  
"I knew Moony had an evil side to him! The truth has been revealed!" shouted Sirius, laughing. Just then Lily and James came in.  
  
"What are you guys doing?" asked James.  
  
"Uh...just homework." said Carly quickly.  
  
"Riiight..." said Lily because she was suspicious. "Well I'm going up to bed, I'm tired.  
  
"I'm going up, too, guys." said James giving them an odd glance. His friends watched him walk up the stairs.  
  
"They are so totally and blissfully in love." Murmured Carly. "So tomorrow night right?"  
  
***Next Morning***  
  
Ah...Lily thought as she woke up the next day. It feels so good to be waking up at 10 in the morning. She got out of bed and pulled on a bathrobe. She trudged down stairs after noticing that Carly was still fast asleep. She went down to the Common Room to find all four boys asleep on the couches. Lazy heads, she thought, absentmindedly covering Remus and James with blankets. She chuckled, a bit loud perhaps, because then James twitched. He sat up, staring blankly at Lily, as if not knowing who she was.  
  
"I think you might need these," Lily said idly swinging his glasses around on her finger.  
  
"Mornin' Lily," he said recognizing her voice and taking his glasses from her, placing them on his face.  
  
"Mornin'. Anyone ever tell you how cute you look when you're asleep?" asked Lily innocently.  
  
"Nope."  
  
"Well...you are," she said simply, and then turned and walked out of the Common Room.  
  
"Wait up Lily-bean," said James a bit dazedly. Did she just tell me I'm cute????  
  
Yep, Remus thought as he watched them leave the Common Room. Totally and blissfully in love.  
  
A/N: Thanks for reading, and please review. My goal is 5 reviews per chapter, and remember that every one of them counts! 


	12. Locked In

A/N: Hi everyone! Thanks for choosing my fanfic to read. This is my first fanfic, and the first time I'm posting anything on FanFiction.Net, which has got to be the most awesomest website in the world.  
  
If you haven't noticed by now, I hate Peter Pettigrew, and so he will have an extremely small role in all of my stories. Basically, he's just there.  
  
I started writing a new fanfic on the last snow day I had. It's going to be about Remus and Harry, and how they coped after Sirius died, but it's not slash or anything. It will contain OotP spoilers, so be sure to read that first.  
  
One of my readers asked me to let them know every time I update. So I'm going to start a mailing list, and I'll have a separate one for each story. Just let me know through review or email if you want to be notified every time I update.  
  
Pairing: Lily/James (This is my favorite pairing, so if you know any good L/J fics, or any good romance fics in general, let me know either through review or email.  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Reviews: Thanks to Storywriter10791, alysia, Kryptic Insanity, and LJstagflower4e/JCtigerwolf4e for reviewing!  
  
Ch. 12 Locked In  
  
"Ooops, sorry Lily!" said Sirius in a seemingly apologetic voice.  
  
"SIRIUS! WHAT IS THIS GOO?"  
  
"Uh...an experiment?"  
  
"Ughh." said Lily disgustedly. "I'm going to take a shower."  
  
Sirius had just started phase one of Operation Get Lily and James Together by spilling his gloppy stuff on Lily. The plan was going just as expected. Sirius spilled his glop on Lily and she was going to take a shower. Sirius had inside info from Carly that Lily never locked the door when she took a shower just in case there was ever an emergency and she had to get out of the bathroom quick. The next part of the plan should happen right...now...  
  
"Hey Sirius." said James, coming in the portrait hole, Remus not far behind. Carly had been watching from the staircase after making sure that Lily was finally in the shower.  
  
"James? Do you think you can help me for a second? There's a spider on the bathroom ceiling and I can't reach it. And you're a little taller then Sirius so you can reach it better." She said.  
  
"Uh, sure, I guess." said James. Sirius followed them up the stairs. After they disappeared, Remus followed, waiting outside the dorm's door.  
  
***Inside Dorm***  
  
"Where's the spider?"  
  
"Ready," Sirius whispered, "One, two, THREE!"  
  
"Huh?" asked James stupidly, as Carly and Sirius ran into him at top speed and pushed him into the bathroom.  
  
"Lockinium!''' they both chanted at the same time. The bathroom door slammed shut. As soon as they heard the door slam, Remus and Carly came into the dorm.  
  
***Inside Bathroom***  
  
"OW!" screeched James, because he landed on his butt after he was unexpectedly pushed into the bathroom. The door slammed closed and when he tried to open it, it wouldn't budge. He then realized that the shower was on and someone was in it.  
  
"Carly? Is that you? I left your brush on the counter." She turned the shower off and stuck one arm out of the curtain to grab her towel.  
  
"Uh...Lily?"  
  
"JAMES?!'''  
  
"Uh.yeah?" Lily stepped out of the shower clutching a fluffy blue towel around her thin body.  
  
"James," she said, a blush creeping up on both of their faces, "what are you doing in here? I'm kinda not wearing anything."  
  
"If I knew I would tell you." said James wryly.  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"Well...we're kinda locked in."  
  
"LOCKED IN?"  
  
"Don't worry Lily-bean. It'll be ok."  
  
"It'll be ok?! It'll be ok? Maybe you don't understand, James. We are locked in a BATHROOM. I don't have any CLOTHS. EVERYONE IS GOING TO THINK THIS IS FUNNY AND THEY'RE NEVER GOING TO LET US OUT!!!!!!"  
  
"LILY! CALM DOWN!"  
  
"WHY ARE YOU YELLING?"  
  
"BECAUSE YOU A- because you are!" They both laughed.  
  
"Sorry, I guessed I got a little worked up."  
  
"A little?" asked James skeptically. They could here giggling coming from the other side of the door. "You guys! Let us out, come on this isn't funny!" screamed James, pounding on the door.  
  
"We're not letting you out until you admit your feelings for each other, and you ask Lily to the Christmas Ball!" came Carly's bold reply from outside.  
  
"Feelings? What are you guys talking about?" James yelled back.  
  
"You know you like each other, now just admit it."  
  
"Whatever," said Lily impatiently. "You could've at least left me some cloths! I'm wearing a towel!"  
  
"We did leave you cloths. They're in the cabinet, under the sink." Lily opened the cabinet to find not only her cloths, but also a sleeping bag, two pillows, and an extra roll of toilet paper, most likely compliments of the house elves.  
  
"Oh, ok. What's with the sleeping bag and pillows?"  
  
"Well," replied Remus. "We figure you guys are pretty stubborn and you'll be in there for a while." He snickered.  
  
"But there's only one sleeping bag." said James, stupidly.  
  
"We know." said Sirius giddily.  
  
"Have fun guys!" called Carly, as she and the others walked down the stairs and back into the common room.  
  
"GUYS!''' screamed Lily and James at the top of their lungs, but then stopped when they figured that their friends weren't going to let them out anytime soon.  
  
***In Common Room***  
  
"Priceless guys, great job!" said Carly.  
  
"But won't people wonder why the two of them aren't at meals?" asked Remus.  
  
"Oh, I've taken care of that already. I've spoken to Dumbledore. I've told him our whole plan, and he totally agrees. Lily and James have wasted too much time not realizing that they're meant for each other. So he said it's ok, as long as we make sure that they have everything they need and do go hungry or something."  
  
"Great thinking, Carly. So now we just sit and wait, right?" asked Sirius.  
  
"Yep." She replied.  
  
"This is gonna take a while isn't it? Anyone up for Exploding Snap?"  
  
A/N: Thanks for reading, please review. I'm hoping to get 5 reviews per chapter, and remember that every one counts! 


	13. Still Locked In

A/N: Hey everyone! I'm so so so so sorry that I haven't updated for a few days. My computer is completely, utterly, and totally against me. It hates me. It loves everyone else in my family, but it hates me. See, I have this story saved in Microsoft Word, and my computer wouldn't let me open any Microsoft related programs, like Excel and Greetings. Today was the first day it would let me. Let's hope it doesn't do it again. Evil piece of metal.  
  
Once again, if anyone else would like to be placed on my mailing list for this story, so I can let you know every time I update, please let me know, either in a review or an email.  
  
Pairing: Lily/James (This is one of my favorite pairings. If you know any good L/J stories, or any good HP stories for that matter, let me know about them in a review or email. Thanks!)  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Reviews: Thanks to kagome, marauder23, bubble0929, LJstagflower4e/JCtigerwolf4e, alily, jezzable, andrea912004, BlueRubies, and Kryptic Insanity for reviewing!  
  
Ch.13 Still Locked In  
  
"What do you want to do?  
  
"I don't know, what do you want to do?" It was three hours later and Lily and James were bored out of their skulls.  
  
"I don't know, what do you want to do?"  
  
"We've got to snap out of this." Said Lily, shaking her head rapidly.  
  
"I've got it. Let's plot the doom of Sirius, Carly, and Remus." Said James.  
  
"Great idea. What should we do?" replied Lily.  
  
"We could lock the three of them in a bathroom and see how they like it."  
  
"Nah," said Lily, "we need something original. How about we handcuff them together for a week? I think that was in a book I read once."  
  
"No it wasn't, it was one of the pranks we played on Malfoy and Snape."  
  
"Oh yea. I knew it sounded vaguely familiar." Said Lily thoughtfully.  
  
"I know! We could lock them in a box, put chains around it, and drill holes in it for air, and then send them to Alaska. No wait, Antarctica, to live with the penguins."  
  
"Perfect." Said Lily contentedly. A knock came on the door.  
  
"How are you guys doing in there? It's Carly."  
  
"And Remus, and Sirius!" came Sirius's indignant voice.  
  
"Yeah, them too." Carly sighed.  
  
"Come on guys, let us out! We're going crazy in here. There's nothing to do. And you took our wands!"  
  
"That was my idea!" yelled Sirius through the door. He probably shouldn't have done that.  
  
"I'll keep that in mind when I'm beating your brains out." Said James.  
  
"Oh. Ok. Well, anyway, we're heading down for dinner now. If we're feeling extra nice, maybe we'll bring you guys some food back," replied Sirius nonchalantly.  
  
"And how, may I ask, are you going to get it through the door?" Asked Lily, skeptically.  
  
"Get a clue Lily-bean! Do you call yourself a witch? It's called magic, silly," said Carly with mock awe. Then Lily and James heard three pairs of feet plodding down the stairs.  
  
"So I guess we're stuck here for at least another hour. Or more." Said Lily, disdainfully.  
  
"Yep. Hey, do you want to just ask each other meaningless questions?"  
  
"Why?" asked Lily.  
  
"'Cause there's nothing better to do."  
  
"Works for me. I'll start. What's your middle name?"  
  
"Harry, after my grandfather. Honestly don't know how my dad could be his son. Grandpa was on the light side." James shrugged. It was the first time he'd mentioned his family to anyone, since he'd run away. "What's your favorite pair of pajamas?"  
  
"Pajamas? My yellow ducky pajamas that Carly got me for my birthday last year. Who do you like?"  
  
"W-Who do I l-like? N-Nobody." Said James nervously.  
  
"Sure. If you don't answer, we won't play."  
  
"Would you tell me who you like?" asked James, trying to prove his point.  
  
"Well, no." Lily admitted.  
  
"That settles that, then."  
  
"We're baaaaack." Came Sirius's voice from the other side of the door.  
  
Finally. Have you got food?"  
  
"Yep. We were feeling extra generous this evening." Said Remus, but Lily couldn't help but hear the mock evil tone in his voice. A faint pop was heard. And then two plates and two glasses appeared in front of Lily and James. They groaned in unison.  
  
"Generous! It's rice and water!" shrieked Lily. But it was too late, because they had already heard the plodding of feet going down the stairs.  
  
Back in the common room, Carly, Sirius, and Remus were laughing hysterically. Carly collapsed on a couch, while the other two had to lean on each other for support as to not collapse.  
  
"Ha! That'll show them to hide their feelings. How long do you think they'll last?" Asked Remus, near tears.  
  
"Oh, I dunno," said Carly, finally calming down. "Maybe another day or so. I mean the ball is in only three nights. Lucky we went to Hogsmeade the other weekend, or they would've never had enough time to get new dress robes."  
  
"Yea. Hey, anyone up for chess?"  
  
A/N: Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed. Please review, because I'm hoping to get at least 5 reviews per chapter. And remember that every single review counts! 


	14. Double Crossing

A/N: Hey everyone. Thanks for choosing to read my fic. I'm really sorry I didn't update sooner. My computer's on the fritz again, and I was studying for my math mid term. Hope I did good.  
  
Once again, if anyone would like to be on the mailing list for this story, so I can let you know each time I update, please let me know, either through a review, or email.  
  
Pairing: Lily/James (This is one of my favorite pairings. If you know any good L/J fics, or any good fics in general, let me know about them in an email of a review.  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Reviews: Thanks to Kryptic Insanity, J.E.A.R.K. Potter, LJstagflower4e/JCtigerwolf4e, Jenn, and ScreamMyHeadOff for reviewing.  
  
Ch. 14 Double Crossing  
  
The next morning, when Sirius, Remus, and Carly were waking from a good night's sleep in their respective beds, Lily and James were waking up to a hard bathroom floor, and stiff necks despite the pillows and sleeping bag. After a while, they began to sit up and roll their necks as to get all the creaks and pains out.  
  
"Uh-oh." Said James.  
  
"It's too early in the morning for uh-oh's. What's the matter?" Asked Lily groggily.  
  
"I kind of have to use go to the bathroom."  
  
"So go."  
  
"But you're here. You're a girl."  
  
"Just go, or stop complaining."  
  
"Fine. But you better not look!"  
  
"Ewww! Why would I want to?"  
  
A knock came on the door a few minutes later, after both Lily and James had used the toilet.  
  
" Good morning sleepyheads." Came Remus's way to cheerful voice.  
  
"Good? Says who?" Lily retorted.  
  
"Can you let us out now? Please?"  
  
"Nope. We can't open the door. It will magically open when you ask Lily to go to the Christmas Ball with you." Carly replied.  
  
Suddenly James got a brilliant stroke of genius.  
  
"So you're saying that all I have to do is ask her to the ball?" James said, ignoring the questioning look on Lily's face. Suddenly she understood. "Lily, will you go to the ball with me?"  
  
"Why of course, James. I'd love to." Replied Lily, in a sickly sweet voice. Then the door magically opened, and Lily and James stepped out of the bathroom.  
  
"Ha, I win! I said they'd only be in there over one night. You owe me ten galleons Padfoot!" said Remus happily. Sirius grudgingly forked over ten galleons to Remus.  
  
"You mean you not only humiliated and embarrassed us, and locked us in a bathroom, but you were betting on us too?"  
  
"Yep. Funny how the world works isn't it? But at least you two are together now?"  
  
"Together? Who said anything about together? Lily, did you say anything about us being together?" asked James, playing stupid.  
  
"Nope, I don't know what they're talking about." Lily replied in a mock-confused tone.  
  
"B-But," spluttered Carly, "you asked her to the ball!" she shrieked, pointing at James.  
  
"So?" said Lily. "You only said he had to ask me to the ball. You never said we actually had to go together." She replied smugly.  
  
"B-But! That's not fair!" said Sirius.  
  
"Oh, well. That's what you get for locking us in the bathroom. You should've known we'd outsmart you somehow. Now give us back our wands before we have to hurt you.  
  
Remus grudgingly forked over their wands, and the Lily and James proceeded down to breakfast, leaving three shocked and annoyed friends following in their wake. 


	15. Snowball Fights, Spilling the Beans, and...

A/N: Hey everyone! Thanks for putting up with me so far. I'm so sorry that I haven't updated for a while...I kinda got grounded from the Internet. Sorry. The good news is that I got to work on that other story that I've been meaning to post, so that should be up soon. Once again, if anyone wants to be on the mailing list so you know when the story is updated, tell me in a review.  
  
Pairing: Lily/James  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Reviews: Thanks to AtwistedAngel13, Sara, LJStagFlower4e/JCTigerwolf4e, xxGreen Bayxx, Kryptic Insanity, and yodaful for reviewing!  
  
Ch. 15 Snowball Fight, Spilling the Beans, and the Ball  
  
The next morning, Lily and Carly woke up to find that it had snowed overnight. After eating a hasty breakfast with the boys, they waddled outside, clad in their snow things. Immediately, they started what became an extremely heated snowball fight. They boys had three people to build a fort with, however Lily and Carly didn't get much done. After a while, they decided to just hide behind a convenient tree.  
  
"You guys can't hide behind a tree! That's cheating!" screamed Sirius.  
  
"Well you guys have one more person than us," Carly yelled back, defending herself and Lily.  
  
"So?" asked Sirius tauntingly.  
  
"So...so we quit!" Screamed Carly.  
  
"We do?" asked Lily, disappointed.  
  
"Yes," answered Carly, "we do. Besides we have to go get ready for the ball anyway."  
  
"But Carly. That's not until tonight," Lily whined.  
  
"Come on Lily!"  
  
"Fine. I'm ready to go inside anyway. I'm soaked!"  
  
"Us, too," chimed in Remus. So they trooped back into the castle together, but not before Sirius had one more good throw at James, in which he knocked his glasses off his face, and they shattered.  
  
"Sirius!" yelled James. "I can't see!"  
  
"Oh, I'll fix them," said Lily, exasperatedly, as she charmed them back into their original state. "Honestly, by seventh year I'd think you'd know how to do this charm by now!"  
  
"That's what I have you for, Lily. What would I do without you?" Replied James.  
  
"You'd be bli-James put me down!" Lily shrieked, as James swung her over his back and ran towards the castle.  
  
When they were out of sight, Sirius commented on how truly blind they both really were.  
  
***Girls' Dorm***  
  
"Lily, stop being so darn stubborn. Just put the stupid make-up on already," sighed and agitated Carly.  
  
"Carly, I don't wanna wear make-up. I don't like it. It makes me itch," replied Lily, with a puppy dog look on her face.  
  
"No fair, Lily, you know I can't resist the puppy dog face. Fine. How about just some lip gloss?"  
  
"Oh, fine. I suppose that's ok."  
  
"So, who are you going to dance with tonight, Lily?" questioned Carly, hoping this would finally burst Lily's denial. It did.  
  
"Carly! How many times are you going to ask? I'm not going with anyone. Ok? I'm not dancing with anyone! Is that ok with you? Am I allowed to go stag? Is it against the rules or something?" she started ranting.  
  
"Lily! I never meant to get you so worked up. Chill!" But Lily didn't here Carly's words. She just kept right on ranting.  
  
"...and just because I know full well who I want to go with, and I'm not going with him, because James will never ever like me, or go out with me! Are you happy now Carly?" moaned Lily, close to tears.  
  
"I knew it." was the only reply Lily got.  
  
"Knew it? Knew what?"  
  
"Know that you like James," replied Carly smugly.  
  
"No, I don't like him. I love him. And he will never like me, let alone love me, and why am I going to this stupid ball anyw-damn. I didn't say that...right? It's all a dream, and in a minute or two, I'll wake up sweating, right?"  
  
"Afraid not Lily. But I knew it along. So, it's no shock to me." Carly said, trying to hold in her excitement. It didn't work.  
  
"You absolutely can't tell anyone. Ok?"  
  
"But Lily! You have to tell him! If you don't, he might go out with someone else." Carly said, exasperatedly.  
  
"I can't. I just can't." Lily sighed.  
  
"Yes you can! I know you can. You have to!"  
  
"I won't, Carly, and you can't force me to. And you can't tell either. Ok?"  
  
"Fine, but I'm very disappointed in you."  
  
"Whatever. Come on, we still have to get ready."  
  
***In Boys' Dorm***  
  
"James, can toss me those socks?" called Sirius from the other side of the dorm.  
  
"The blue ones or the black ones?"  
  
"Black." Replied Sirius.  
  
"So James?" asked Remus, "What happened the other night?"  
  
"What are you talking about?" Asked James confusedly.  
  
"Oh yeah!", said Sirius, obviously remembering. "You were asleep and you got all twitchy, and then you started calling out Lily's name. Lily. I love you, Lily. I'll always be there for you, Lily." Said Sirius, mocking James.  
  
"No! Did I seriously do that? Oh, no. Ugg. You guys can't tell her, ok?" Said James, worriedly.  
  
"Tell her what?" asked Remus.  
  
"That I love her!" Replied James, very confused.  
  
"You love her?" Asked Sirius, shocked, his mouth agape.  
  
"Isn't that what I just said? You said I said her name in my sleep!"  
  
"James," Remus said gently, "we made that up, just to see if you like her. But you love her? Wow. Sirius close your mouth!"  
  
"You tricked me! How-but-why- you mean I didn't really dream that?"  
  
"Nope. Just a clever trick of the mind. Worked quite well, if I might add." Sirius said, finally regaining his composure.  
  
"You guys can't tell her, got it. I'll tell her in my own time. But not now. And you guys can't say a thing. Ok?"  
  
"Fine." Both boys said in unison.  
  
***At the Ball***  
  
The Great Hall was decorated beautifully for the Ball. Every one had a good time, except James and Lily, who were miserable, because they wouldn't tell the others how they felt. They sat at the same table, and didn't speak, while their friends had a great time dancing, singing, and eating. Finally, Sirius came over to the table, and said:  
  
"James, just ask her to dance already."  
  
"Fine, but just as friends."  
  
"Good enough, I guess."  
  
"Hey, Lily, want to dance?" asked James, as a slow song came on.  
  
"Sure James." Replied Lily. He put his hands around her waste, and she put her arms around his neck, and leaned on his shoulder.  
  
She fit perfectly.  
  
It was meant to be.  
  
But they would never tell each other how they felt.  
  
A/N: Thanks for reading, and please review! 


	16. Deadly Christmas

A/N: Thanks for deciding to read this story. Hope you enjoy it. Sorry it's so short, but I promise Lily and James will get together soon.  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Pairing: L/J  
  
Reviews: Thanks to yodaful, AtwistedAngel13, J.E.A.R.K. Potter, Miss_Mione, biologyfrg, andAndrea921004 for reviewing.  
  
Ch. 16 Deadly Christmas  
  
The next morning, Christmas Day, Lily and Carly woke up on a couch in the common room, to see the boys still asleep on the floor. They found themselves in the middle of a blizzard going on outside. Apparently it had starting snowing again during the night, and very hard, too. They woke the boys up so that they could open their gifts, which were neatly stacked in piles under the Christmas tree.  
  
Peter had sent them each a bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, and a note saying that he was sorry he had to go home for the holidays, and that he wished he was with them.  
  
Lily noticed that she didn't receive the usual letter from her parents, but she just blew it off, figuring that the owl couldn't make it in time, because of the snow.  
  
She also noticed that there was no gift from James in her pile. She looked at him questioningly, but his back was turned towards her. As if realizing someone was staring at him, James turned around. When he saw Lily's puzzled face, he mouthed the words 'later'. This confused Lily even more.  
  
All day she waited, wondering what James's gift could be. They were currently headed down to the great hall for dinner. When the got into the hall, James took the seat next to Lily, despite Carly's pout and moan of, "I was going to sit there."  
  
About halfway through dinner, an owl flew in to the Great Hall, and dropped a letter in Lily's plate. Then it flew away. Lily picked up the envelope questioningly. She noticed the Ministry of Magic seal, and tore it off. She then read the letter, tears forming in her eyes, slowly falling down her face.  
  
She dropped the letter, and flew out of the hall, not saying anything. Just running, as far away as she could. She ran out the great oak front doors, and into the blizzard. She just kept running, she had to get away. She made it as far as the Quidditch pitch before she collapsed in the snow, sunk to her knees, and cried.  
  
Meanwhile, in the Great Hall, all formal chitchat had ceased, when Lily ran out of the Hall. But as soon as it had turned deadly quiet, people had started talking again. The teachers, up at their high table, looked confused, but not worried, and also resumed eating. James picked up the discarded letter that had fallen to the floor. He read it aloud to Carly, Sirius, and Remus "Dear Ms. Evans,  
  
It is with our deepest sympathy that we inform you of the murder of your parents. They were killed last night by Voldemort. We also regret to inform you that your sister, a one Petunia Evens, wishes that you never contact her again.  
  
A funeral service will be held on the twenty-sixth of December. Your sister does not wish for you to attend, however, it is your choice, and it is in your parents will that you attend.  
  
As for the will, your parents left everything in the house to you, except things already belonging to your sister.  
  
A Merry Christmas to you,  
  
Don Grappling  
Ministry of Magic"  
  
"I'm going to find Lily," James said in a hollow voice. But he ran out of the Great Hall so fast that they were never sure if that's exactly what he said.  
  
Dumbledore came over. "What seems to be the problem?"  
  
"Lily's parents are dead." Carly replied, in monotone.  
  
"I see. Tell Ms. Evens that she has my sympathy. Go, now, comfort her." But they were already out of the hall.  
  
A/N: Please review! 


	17. I Love You

A/N: Hey everyone. Thanks for choosing to read my story. I really appreciate it. I sorry this chapter is so short, but I couldn't decide whether or not I wanted to combine it with the last chapter, but I didn't, so here it is, lol. I hope you enjoy!  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Pairing: Lily/James  
  
Reviews: Thanks to yodaful, AtwistedAngel13, LJstagflower4e/JCtigerwolf4e, Christina, just me, manny2003, and phred doesn't like you, for reviewing.  
  
Favorites List: Thanks to phred doesn't like you, for putting me on their favorites list.  
  
Author Alert: Thanks to May May 15, Shelly Knight, Catherine-Anna, loppy- lou17, AtwistedAngel13, call-me-later, oorjit, phred doesn't like you, Elf Princess Claire, BlueEyedDemon10, Manny2003, and Warrior of the Night, for adding me to their author alert lists.  
  
Ch. 17 I Love You  
  
Sirius, Carly, and Remus searched all over the castle, but found no sign of either Lily or James. They wearily made their way back to the common room around eleven thirty at night in hope that James had found Lily.  
  
James on the other hand, had left the Great Hall in time to see the great oak doors swing close, and knew Lily must have gone outside. He quickly followed, but as soon as he got outside, he was stuck by the bitter coldness of the snow. He charmed his glasses to repel the snow, just as he saw a flash of red hair in the blizzard. He followed it, trudging through the now knee-high snow. But, alas the snow was too hard, and he lost track of her.  
  
Later on, James could've sworn he'd walked around in circles for hours, searching for Lily. In reality, it was only twenty minutes, but when you're cold, even seconds feel like days. He had time to think though.  
  
Poor Lily. She must feel so alone, all of a sudden knowing that her parents are dead and that her sister hates her. I hope she knows that we're all here for her. She really loved her parents, I know she did. I can't imagine how it must feel to know you never got to say one more good- bye to someone you loved before they were killed.  
  
And in a split second, James understood what he needed to do. He needed to tell her he loved her. That he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. He had to, if he never wanted to regret not telling her. What if something ever happened to either one of them, and he never told her that her that he loved her? He'd regret it more than anything. He knew what he had to do.  
  
He found her some time later, curled in a ball on the Quidditch Pitch, sobbing uncontrollably. He sunk down to his knees behind her and embraced her in a huge bear hug. Lily jolted around, to see who was hugging her.  
  
"James." She whispered, feebly, and as if she weren't totally there consciously. "James, they...they're gone."  
  
"Lily?"  
  
"Hmm?" Her reply came distantly.  
  
"Lily, I love you."  
  
A/N: Hope you enjoyed and please review! 


	18. Bliss

A/N: Hey. Thanks for picking my story to read. I hope you enjoy it. I know everyone's been waiting for this part.  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Pairing: Lily/James  
  
Reviews: Thanks to Christina, just me, Manny2003, Warrior of the Night, phred doesn't like you, jezzable, AtwistedAngel13, and ladyla for reviewing!  
  
Ch. 18 Bliss  
  
"Lily, I love you."  
  
Lily sat there in shock. This was too much for one night. Her parents were dead. Her sister hated her. And in a time of such mourning, James loved her. She said it.  
  
"James." She whispered, hoarsely.  
  
"Lily. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything. It's too much. I-"  
  
"James, I love you, too."  
  
Silence.  
  
"James? Never leave me?" Came Lily's piteous request.  
  
"Never, Lily, never," James promised. "Come on. I've got to get you inside. You're turning blue." And he picked her up, and carried her inside. He could feel her tears soaking through his sweater. But he didn't care. She loved him. She'd said so. The snow hardly existed now. It was still snowing, harder than before actually, but he didn't even notice.  
  
By the time the got to the common room, Lily's sobs had disappeared, and she had fallen asleep. James gently laid her down on the couch. She was light enough, but it wasn't easy carrying someone while trudging through knee-high snow.  
  
He plopped down on the couch next to her, and braced himself for the obvious questions of 'where did you find her', 'why are you covered in snow', and 'is she ok'. He was not, however, prepared for Sirius's question.  
  
"Why are you smiling?" That shook James out of his reverie.  
  
"I love her."  
  
"Well, we could've told you that," snorted Remus.  
"We did. Remember?" Asked Carly.  
  
"Oh yea."  
  
"Is she ok?" Questioned Carly worriedly.  
  
"She's fine, just cold," James added, tucking a blanket around small frame.  
  
"Where did you find her?" Asked Sirius.  
  
"Quidditch pitch. And she loves me too by the way." James threw in.  
  
"Told you! You owe me ten galleons." Carly demanded to Sirius, smugly.  
  
"You were betting on us?!" cried Lily, now awoken.  
  
"Yep. Are you okay Lily?" asked Carly, scooping her best friend into a hug.  
  
"They're really gone, Carly."  
  
"I know. But, it'll be okay. I promise."  
  
"Where am I going to live? How am I getting to the funeral? Who's going to come with me? Someone has to come with me. I can't face my sister alone." Lily was getting hysterical.  
  
"Sshhhh. Lily, it's okay. We'll figure out everything in the morning. It's late. Let's go to sleep," said James, being reasonable.  
  
"We're going to stay up a little longer, I think," Carly said, and Sirius and Remus agreed. Lily tried to stand up, but stumbled.  
  
"I'll bring you up," James said, lifting her in one big scoop. He brought her up to her dorm, and tucked her into bed. He kissed her.  
  
"James, please don't leave me. Stay with me." So, James climbed into bed, too.  
  
"Lily, if you want, I'll go to the funeral with you."  
  
"Would you? Please. It would mean so much to me."  
  
"Anything for you Lily. And you can stay with me and Sirius after school ends. We've already talked about renting a flat in Hogsmeade."  
  
"James, that means so much, to me. I don't even know how to thank you. I mean, my life just basically fell apart, and you're already helping me put it back together. Thank you."  
  
"Lily, do you know how long I've wanted to say that I love you?"  
  
"How long, James?"  
  
"Since second year."  
  
"That's a long time to wait."  
  
"I know."  
  
"I love you, James."  
  
"I love you too, Lily." 


End file.
